Reform UK has officially surpassed the Tories in a new poll in a fresh blow for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The party led by Nigel Farage polled at 19% compared with 18% for the Conservatives, according to a YouGov poll shared with The Times.
Mr Farage, who made the shock announcement last week he was taking over as leader of Reform from Richard Tice and standing for parliament in Clacton, has repeatedly made clear his plans to replace the Tories as the official opposition if Labour win the landslide the current polls are predicting.
However, he has ruled out any suggestions of a pact with the Conservatives after Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, said her party should embrace the former UKIP leader on the grounds there was “not much difference really between him and many of the policies that we stand for”.
The news comes as Mr Sunak struggles to contain the backlash sparked by his decision to leave D-Day commemorations in Normandy early last week.
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In the face of a backlash from rivals, veterans and some from within his own party, the prime minister was forced to apologise for skipping an international ceremony attended by world leaders including US President Joe Biden to mark the allied landings.
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